MILITARY TERMS PRIMER
Jerald Bernard
COMMANDO - a battalion sized Royal Marine unit from the UK. Royal
Marines serving in Iraq are members of 3 Commando. It's pronounced
Three Commando Brigade and not 3rd Commando.
PSYOPS - (Pronounced SI-OPS) Psychological Operations.
FIRETEAM - A four-man combat unit. There are usually three fire
teams in an infantry squad. Led by a Corporal.
SQUAD - A unit of 10-12 soldiers or Marines. Led by a Sergeant.
PLATOON - A platoon is usually four squads: three rifle squads and a
weapons squad. Commanded by a Second Lieutenant. Platoons are
numbered (1-3) Weapons platoon is called Weapons Platoon.
COMPANY - Usually four platoons and commanded by a Captain. (130-150
men). The basic infantry maneuver unit. Companies are given letter
designations such as Alpha Company or Delta Company.
BATTALION - Usually about 400 men and commanded by a Lieutenant
Colonel. A battalion contains three rifle companies and a combat
support element. Battalions are numbered such as 2nd Battalion, 1st
Marines (Regiment). Pronounced 2nd Battalion, First Marines.
BRIGADE - Usually about 2,500 men commanded by a Colonel or in some
cases a Brigadier General. Contains three or more battalions and has
engineer, bridging, topographic support, medical and communications
units.
DIVISION - Between 10,000 and 20,000 troops commanded by a Major
General (two stars). An Army Division is made up of at least three
Brigades. Divisions are numbered and usually have their combat
specialty in the title such as Mechanized Division, Armored Division,
Marine Division, Mountain Division, Air Assault Division, Airborne
Division or Infantry Division.
CORPS - The largest tactical unit in the US Army. A Corps contains
from two to five divisions depending on the mission. It is commanded
by a Lieutenant General (three stars).
LAR - Light Armored Reconnaissance
APACHE LONGBOW - Latest, most sophisticated version of the AH-64
Apache attack helicopter with microwave directed Hellfire anti-tank
missiles.
ABRAMS - Fully-tracked M-1 Main Battle Tank featuring 120mm
smoothbore cannon and three machineguns.
BRADLEY - Fully-tracked M2 Infantry Fighting vehicle that carries 12
troops.
BUSHMASTER - 23mm chain-gun mounted on Marine Corps LAV-25
LAV-25 - wheeled armored vehicle used by US Marine Corps in place of
Bradley.
SP - Self-propelled as in artillery.
PACK III PATRIOT - Latest, most-sophisticated version of first-line
anti-missile/anti-air missile system.
RPG -Rocket-Propelled Grenade. Bazooka-like weapon developed by
Communist-bloc forces and now used all over the world. Version being
encountered is RPG-7V and is designed for anti-tank/anti-armor work.
LMG - Light Machine Gun.
M-4 - Short carbine version of the M-16A2 rifle.
FRAG - Fragmentation hand-grenade.
AT-4 - Shoulder-fired anti-tank/anti-bunker weapon used by US forces.
WARTHOG - A-10 attack aircraft designed as a tank-buster.
FEDAYEEN SADDAM - "Saddam's Men of Sacrifice." Approximately
40,000 militia troops trained to conduct guerilla warfare. Mostly
centered around Baghdad but highly mobile force.
ESHBAL SADDAM - "Lions of Saddam." Sort of a Hitler Youth style
group of armed teenagers. About 4,000 youths mostly in Baghdad but
also in cells within Iraq's major cities.
MOPP SUIT OR MOPP GEAR - Multiple Operations Protective Posture
garments for protection from Chemical and/or Biological attack. Worn
in progressive stages from MOPP 1 to MOPP 4 according to conditions
encountered. Another name for MOPP Suit.
JLIST - (Pronounced Jay-List) Joint-Service Lightweight Integrated
Suit Technology. The latest version of MOPP gear.
FOX VEHICLE - M93A1 Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance
system built into a wheeled armored vehicle.
ICAM - (Pronounced Eye-Cam) Improved Chemical Agent Monitor. A
hand-held sensor for detecting nerve and mustard gas agents.
BIDS - M31A1 Biological Integrated Detection System. Essentially a
self-contained laboratory mounted on a HUMVEE and capable of
identifying biological aerosol agents.
SAM - Surface to Air Missile.
HUMVEE - Wheeled vehicle that replaced the Jeep in US Forces.
Acronym stands for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Vehicle. Comes in
several versions including TOW Missile mount, .50 caliber machinegun
mount, ambulance and communication vehicles.
IFV - Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Usually the Bradley or LAV -25
when referring to US equipment. A BDRM or BTR when referring to Iraqi
equipment. BDRM and BTR are Soviet acronyms and have no direct
translation.
ZSU-23 - (Pronounced Zoo Twenty-Three) A multi-barrel anti-aircraft
machinegun in 23mm. The primary Iraqi non-missile anti-aircraft
weapon.
INTERCEPTOR - Improved Kevlar vest or flak-jacket capable of stopping
small arms rounds.
AAA - (Pronounced Triple-A) Anti-Aircraft Artillery.
MBT - Main Battle Tank.
COBRA - AH-1W attack helicopter. Flown by US Marine Forces in place
of Apache.
CH-46 - Sea Knight dual-rotor medium-lift helicopter used by US
Marines.
CH-53 - Sea Stallion single-rotor heavy-lift helicopter used by US
Marines.
BLACKHAWK - UH-60 medium-lift helicopter used by U.S. Army.
TOC - (Pronounced Tock) Tactical Operations Center. The field
command and control post for US Army units.
COC - (Pronounced See-Oh-See) Combat Operations Center. The Marine
Corps version of TOC.
FOB - Forward Operating Base.
FARP - Forward Arming and Refueling Point. May be set up for
vehicles such as tanks or for helicopters.
JDAM - (Pronounced Jay-Dam) Joint Direct Attack Munitions -
2,000-pound smart- bomb.
JSOW - (Pronounced Jay-Sow) 1,000-pound glide-bomb. Can glide 15 to
40 miles from launching aircraft. Contains a canister, which may be
used to deploy sub-munitions (smaller bombs or mines) over large areas.
MOAB - Massive Ordnance Air Blast - 21,000 launched from heavy-lift
aircraft such as C-130 Combat Talon. A smart bomb carrying 18,000
pounds of tritonal explosives. Largest non-nuclear bomb in the world.
THERMOBARIC BOMB - Bunker-busting air-delivered bombs designed to
penetrate deeply into caves or bunkers. Creates massive shock waves
and over-pressure.
ALCS - Air Launched Control System. Smart bombs launched from
aircraft with 2,000 pound warheads.
TOMAHAWK - Cruise missile usually launched from ships or submarines.
Contains a 1,000 warhead.
PAVE-LOW - Specially-configured UH-60 helicopters designed to support
Special Operations.
PAVE TALON - Specially configured C-130 multi-engine, turbo-prop
aircraft designed to support Special Operations.
NVG - Night Vision Goggles.
FLIR - Forward-Looking Infrared Radar. Used to identify targets at
night. Usually mounted on attack helicopters.
L.O.D. - Line of Departure. Used to indicate the moment and area in
which a unit goes over into an attack.
A.O. - Area of Operations
GRID or GRID SQUARE - a defined area square on a tactical map used to
specify location.
KLICK or CLICK - a kilometer.
PALADIN - A US 155mm self-propelled howitzer.
M198 - (Pronounced M-One-Niner-Eight) A US towed 155mm howitzer.
F.O. - Forward Observer for mortars, artillery or any other direct
support weapon system.
B.D.A. - Bomb Damage Assessment when referring to results of an air
strike or Battle Damage Assessment when referring to results of a
ground attack.
C.I.D. - Criminal Investigation Division. Military version of the
FBI, which investigates crimes committed by military people.
MEU - (Pronounced Myew) Marine Expeditionary Unit usually consisting
of a Battalion Landing Team, a helicopter attack and support squadron
and a combat support group.
MEB - Marine Expeditionary Brigade centered on a Marine Infantry
Regiment and a Marine Aircraft Group.
MEF - Marine Expeditionary Force centered on a Marine Division and a
Marine Aircraft Wing. I MEF is the force in Iraq. It's pronounced
Eye MEF.
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This list is from Captain Dale Dye (Ret. USMC). His bio can be read at
http://www.kfiam640.com/daledy e_bio.html